How can China-ASEAN join hands to the future under the great changes of the world

(Focus on China-ASEAN Expo) How can China-ASEAN join hands to move towards the future under the great changes of the world

　　China News Agency, Nanning, September 16th: How can China-ASEAN join hands to the future under the world's changing situation

　　China News Agency reporter Jiang Xuelin Yang Chen

　　Multiple factors such as the new crown pneumonia epidemic and international turmoil are putting the world economy at risk of recession.

In this context, the 19th China-ASEAN Expo (referred to as the China-ASEAN Expo), co-hosted by the economic and trade departments of China and the ten ASEAN countries and the ASEAN Secretariat, opened as scheduled in Nanning, Guangxi on the 16th.

The world once again sees the willingness, action and determination of China and ASEAN countries to work together to overcome difficulties and seek economic recovery in the region.

　　This year marks the first year of China-ASEAN comprehensive strategic partnership, and the first year for the implementation of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).

Standing at a new historical starting point, how will China and ASEAN join hands to the future?

　　Construction of version 3.0 free trade zone

　　Observing the opening ceremony of the China-ASEAN Expo, "Building the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area Version 3.0" has become a high-frequency word.

Prime Minister Ismail of Malaysia, Deputy Prime Minister and Coordinating Minister of Economic Policy of Singapore Heng Swee Keat, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Thailand and many other ASEAN leaders expressed their support for the construction of the 3.0 Free Trade Area at the opening ceremony.

　　Li Mingjiang, an associate professor at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, pointed out in a telephone interview with a reporter from China News Agency: "The 3.0 version of the free trade area is conducive to maintaining economic integration within ASEAN, and will also play a significant role in stimulating the economic development of ASEAN countries."

　　What kind of future will the highly anticipated 3.0 version of the Free Trade Area bring to China and ASEAN amid the world's great changes?

　　Xie Zhujun, deputy director of the Institute of Southeast Asia, Guangxi Academy of Social Sciences, who has participated in the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area negotiation six times, said that the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area version 3.0 will usher in new growth in cooperation fields such as digital economy, green economy, and new infrastructure. Opportunities, economic ties between member states will be closer, international cooperation will be more pragmatic and efficient, cross-border flows of international production factors will be more frequent, and the dividends of the free trade zone will be further released.

　　Li Mingjiang also said that the construction of version 3.0 of the free trade zone will not be smooth sailing, and interference from countries outside the region will complicate the negotiations.

But he also believes that even in the face of difficulties, ASEAN and China will walk hand in hand on this issue.

　　strengthen interconnection

　　Information revealed from the opening ceremony of the CAEXPO shows that strengthening infrastructure connectivity will remain the key direction of cooperation between China and ASEAN in the future.

　　"During the epidemic prevention and control period, the new international land-sea trade channel provides an effective alternative to traditional trade. In the first half of 2022, the volume of goods transported through this channel increased by 30.3% compared with the same period of the previous year." Wang Ruijie said.

　　This new channel started five years ago. Since the outbreak of the epidemic, the number of freight traffic has risen against the trend. In 2021, the new channel will open 6,117 rail-sea intermodal trains, with a container volume of 300,000 TEUs, a year-on-year increase of 33%.

　　The new channel has shortened the distance between western China and ASEAN countries, and profoundly changed the trade pattern between China and ASEAN.

Huang Jiangnan, head of Qinzhou Port East Station of Guangxi Coastal Railway Company, said in an interview with reporters that recycled pulp, starch, shortening, etc. from ASEAN countries poured into the Chinese market through new channels.

More and more stone materials from Guilin, Guangxi, and new energy auto parts from Liuzhou are sent to Bangkok, Thailand and Jakarta, Indonesia through new channels.

　　The interconnection of infrastructure between China and ASEAN has also greatly benefited landlocked countries like Laos.

Lao Deputy Prime Minister Song Sai said at the opening ceremony of the China-ASEAN Expo that the opening of the high-speed railway from Laos to China has made Laos one of the important nodes connecting ASEAN countries with China, and it has also made Laos better integrated into the development process of countries in the Lancang-Mekong region. middle.

　　Deepen digital economy cooperation

　　At the opening ceremony of the China-ASEAN Expo, leaders of ASEAN countries, including Ismail, Heng Swee Keat, Song Sai and Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Pham Binh Minh, all proposed to deepen cooperation with China in the field of digital economy.

　　Ismail expressed the hope that ASEAN and China will strengthen cooperation in the field of digital economy and empower SMEs to use technology to enhance their business.

　　In fact, China and ASEAN have had in-depth cooperation in the field of digital economy.

Information provided by the Guangxi Big Data Development Bureau shows that the China-ASEAN Information Harbor has built a China-ASEAN technology transfer center, established an inter-governmental bilateral technology transfer working mechanism with 9 ASEAN countries including Thailand and Laos, and established a joint technology transfer mechanism with 7 ASEAN countries. The joint working group on technology transfer and the China-ASEAN technology transfer cooperation network enterprises have increased to more than 2,600.

The China-ASEAN Technology Transfer Center signed a cooperation agreement with Singapore Nanyang International Club Co., Ltd. to jointly build the Guangxi Nanyang Science and Technology Innovation Center.

　　The digital economy has become a new blue ocean for China-ASEAN cooperation and development.

ASEAN Secretary-General Lin Yuhui pointed out that ASEAN has taken the digital economy as a new growth driver and is actively implementing the "ASEAN Digital Master Plan 2025".

China is a leading digital economy power in the region, which can help ASEAN solve the digital technology gap and provide huge opportunities for the development of regional enterprises.

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